Fleas, Ticks & Assorted Critters. . .

6 December 2017, 6:38 pm

Yes, it gets cooler in winter in Florida but honestly, it often does not get cold enough to kill off the biting beasties that plague our pets. There are soooo many products on the market these days that it’s overwhelming when need to buy them. They are not cheap and they are not all the same. It can be confusing. Florida’s weather doesn’t get cold enough for you to slack off in the winter either! It’s a 12 month flea and tick year! So. . . We want to offer a little help. Face the creatures with products that will work for you.

First, decide what you need in your area. Florida dogs pretty universally need Heartworm, Flea & flea eggs and tick coverage. Tapeworm, hookworm and roundworm just seem to come and go. Obviously, if you see some kind of worms in their poop, better treat for these things, too. You might as well treat for all three types. Even if you only identify one kind, the others will be lurking in the background waiting for you to make room for them.

If your dog is NEVER exposed to any of these things (i.e. lives in the Yukon or a plastic bubble in space), you don’t need to do anything. Heartworm is carried by mosquitoes and takes seven months to develop from a bite. Other types of worms can be passed through the pads of the dog’s feet. It’s a messy world out there. Realizing your dog has ticks or worms doesn’t mean you’re a bad parent. It means you live in the real world. So. . .

Look at the list (BELOW) and determine what critters your dog is at risk of harboring.

Find the product or combination of products that cover those exposures.

Go online and purchase them and USE them.

If you don’t like topicals because they leave goo on the dog’s back, find a pill form. If you can’t get pills into your dog, use a liquid. But use something or your dog is going to have a problem. And eventually, it can be a fatal problem. I have publicly come out against oral flea and tick products, preferring not to have poison travel through my dog’s vital organs to stand ready to kill a hitchhiking tick. However, I have to admit that these products have shown great improvement in their safety records over the past few years and those might be the better choice for your lifestyle. But look at all the options to accomplish the coverage you need.

Just about everything on this list is available online. And you can get everything without a prescription somewhere. Just keep looking. Don’t be afraid to purchase generics or from other countries. There are plenty of excellent copies out there now. Most of the copyrights have expired. FoG often uses sites from Australia (www.equine-mega-store.com and www.deadfleaz.com ) and we have worked with both of them for over 15 years. Here in the US the sites change rapidly. But some of our favorites are: Valley Vet Supply, Drs. Fosters & Smith, Chewy.com, 1-800-Pet Meds (nice to support the local folks – Petmeds was founded in Pompano Beach!) and new ones come out every day. Of course, the US market changes rapidly so you may find yourself “shopping” the prices every time. That’s why God invented search engines. God Bless Google!